Gear-shift mechanism for mowing-machines



P. L. ETCHISON; GEAR SHIFT MECHANISM FOR MOWING MACHINES.

' APPLICAHON FILED SEPT. 12, 1917- 1,352,800. P t edSept- 14 .P. L. EEC/D1307? rAU'nn-ETcHIsoN, or MUSELLAQQEORGIA.

GEAR-SHIFT MECHANISM FOR MowING MAoHINns 1 Application filed September T 0 (all 10/110712, it may concern. r

1 Be it known that I, PAUL L. ETCHISON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Musella, in the county of Crawford and State of Georgia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gear-Shift Mechanism for Mowing-Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full,

' chines which provide two speeds for the reciprocation of the sickle so that when the mower isused in heavy hay, the sickle bar may be reciprocated at'a greater rate of speed than it would be reciprocat'ed when;

used forcutting alight or medium stand of hay or grass.-

.VViththe foregoing and other objects in view, this invention consists in such. novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and: claimed In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings wherein like characters designate like and corresponding parts throughout the several views, and in which Figure l is a plan .view of a fragment of a mowing machine showing the improved gearing applied thereto, and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken 0 the line 2-2 of F 1. 2

Referring more particularly to the draw-.

ings, 1 indicates the supporting wheels of the upon the usual axle 2. The axle 2 is inclosed by the usual casing 3. The cutter bar structure 4 is of the ordinaryconstruction embodying a reciprocatory sickle 5 which is operated by a pitman 6 through the medium of the rotation of the pitman 6 is eccentrically connected, as shown disk 7 to whi'chthe The disk 7 is mounted upon the forward Specification of Letters Patent.

it appertains to make andand a pair ofgears 22 rod 32 which has one foot trip 33. The foot trip 33 is pivotally: connectedas shown at 34 to the free end of mowing machine which are 'mounted 1917. Serial No..190,994.

3 end of a shaft 9, whichishaft is supported 1 Patented Sept 14 192i).

UNITED s'rarasjgjram strictby suitable bearings 10. Thebearings 10 are in turn supported by the gear casing 11. A beveled pinion 12 is mounted upon the rear end of the shaft 9 and it meshes with the, bevel gear 13. The bevel/gear 13 is mounted upon a shaft 14 whichis supported by su table bearings 15, mounted in brackets (not shown) secured to 11 Gears 16 the shaft 14. A shaft 18 is ported by suitable bearings 19 and it has a large gear 20, mounted thereon, a gear 21 which is slightly smaller than the gear 20 and 23 which are of A- main' drive gear 24 is slidablysup equal diameter.

' mounted upon the axle 2. A knuckle 25 is carried by the end of the shaft 18 and it is I pivotally connected as Shown'at 26'to a foot" lever 27. V The foot lever 27 is pivotally the gear casing and 17 are mounted upon v connected asshown at- 28't0 the axle casing 3: a

and it has a dogmechanism 29 carried thereby wh ichcoacts withthe quadrant 30; The:

quadrant 30- is attached to the axle casing3.

The dog mechanism;which isgenerica'lly indicated by the numeral 29;comprises' a end connected to a;

the lever V wardly and outwardly as shown at extends throughjthe slot 36 formed in the lexer27, having. its lower forward end-adapt the notches of the/lever 27 in ed for seatingin anyone of thequadrant 30 for holding adjusted position. A coil spring 37 is coiled about the rod 32 and it has one end attached to thelever 27, as shownat 38, while the The rod32 is bent down- F 35rand:

other end is attached to the rod 32, as at 32, v

and this spring tends to hold the lower forward end of quadrant '30. a 7

When it is desired to shift'the lever 27, the foot trip 33 is pressed downwardly, which will move the rod 32 rearwardly, moving-its lower forward end out of the notches of the quadrant and the foot of the rider is then moved lateraily, which will swing the lever upon itspivot 28.

the rod 32 in the notches of the When the mowing machine is used in" cutting heavy grass or hay and it is desiredto reciprocate the sickle 5 at high speed,

the lever 27 is moved in the direction indicated by the arrow A in Fig. 1 of the drawingsand this movement will shift the shaft 18 and move the gear 22 into meshing engagement with the gear 24. When the, gear 22 is moved into meshing engagement with the gear 24, the gear will mesh with the gear 16 and the shaft i l will be rotated by the rotation of the axle 2 through the gears 24, 22, 20 and 16, which will rotate the shaft 9 at a high speed and consequently recip-' rocate the sickle 5 at a high speed through the medium of the pitman rod 6 and the pitman disk 7 When the machine is cutting light hay or grass, the lever 27 is shifted in the opposite direction to that indicated by the letter A and this will move the gear with the gear 24 and the gear 21 into mesh with the gear 17 consequently rotating the shaft 14 by the rotation of the axle 2 through either side of said driving gear,

the medium of the gears24c, 23, 21 and 17 and rotate the shaft at a lower rate of speed than it would be rotatedby the gears 16, 20, 22 and 24, since the "diameters of the gears are arranged for this function. The collar or knuckle 25 is rotatably mounted upon the shaft 18 so as to rotate independently of any rotation of the knuckle. r

In reducing the invention to practice, certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts may necessitate alterations to which the patentee is entitled, provided such alterations are Qcomprehended within the scope of what is claimed. 7 V

What is claimed is V I 1. A gear shift comprising an axle, a gear wheel mounted on said axle for rotation therewith, a pair of shafts spaced in parallel relation with respect to one another andwithrespect to said axle, a driving gear mounted on one of said shafts, gears of different diameters mounted on said shaft to the second 23 into mesh to allow the shaft the last mentioned shaft between the first mentioned shaft and the axle being slidably mounted for longitudinal movement, pairs of shift gears mounted in spaced relation upon said second shaft, means for sliding said second shaft to bring one of the shift gears of either pair into operative engagement with the gear on said axle and the other gear of said pair into operative engagement with one of the gears on the first mentionedshaft, and means for locking said second shaft in adjusted position.

2. A gear shift comprising an axle, a gear mounted on said axle, a shaft parallel with said axle and carrying a driving gear and gears of different diameters to either side of said driving gear, an intermediate shaft positioned between said first .mentioned shaft and said axle and parallel therewith, spaced pairs of shift gears carried upon said intermediate shaft, a lever connected' with said intermediate shaft for moving the latter longitudinally other gear of said pair into operative connection with one of the gears on the first mentioned shaft, a pivoted foot operated member carried by said lever, and means connected'with said pivoted foot operated to bring one of said shift gears of one of said pa1rs into operative conneetionwith the gear on Silld'iLXlB and the 

